PhD Case Studies

Dana Thompson commenced her PhD with the Faraday Institution in 2018 following a Faraday Undergraduate Summer Experience (FUSE) internship and conducted research on recycling of batteries at Leicester University. Discover more about her research journey in the spotlight video. Dana has since successfully completed her PhD and now works as a Battery Cell Developer at Jaguar Land Rover following an internship with the company as part of her doctoral studies.

Aaron Wade was part of the first cohort of Faraday Institution PhD researchers. His PhD at UCL focused on the imaging of electrodes using X-ray computed tomography as documented in this spotlight video. Aaron undertook an internship as an analyst at Exawatt and now works full-time as their Battery Cost Analyst He is also one of the Project Directors for Battery Pub.

John-Joseph Marie was a PhD researcher on the SOLBAT project at the University of Oxford under the supervision of Sir Peter Bruce. His research focused on the development of high-voltage cathode materials for the next generation of Li-ion and Na-ion batteries, as detailed in the spotlight video. He undertook an internship with Rho Motion that provide forecasts and analysis for the energy transition. JJ’s work there focused on understanding the scope for electrification in the mining industry. He now works as an Energy Storage Analyst for the Faraday Institution.

Haydn Francis undertook his PhD at the University of Cambridge, studying novel fluorescent lithium-ion sensors for application in battery diagnostic measurements that provide real-time performance metrics. Learn more from the spotlight video. During his doctorate, Haydn completed a three-month internship with the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) focused on international shipping and emissions. He has continued policy work part-time, most recently with the Energy Institute at UCL on technoeconomic analysis around shipping, with a specific focus on electrification.

Kieran O’Regan’s PhD at the University of Birmingham focused on bridging electrochemistry experiments with models. He undertook an internship working as an analyst at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, profiling commercial and technical developments in the battery landscape. Kieran is co-founder of the start-up About:Energy, which has created a battery intelligence platform, the Voltt, to unlock the potential of modelling for the development of battery technology. He has jointly won a number of awards including a Faraday Institution Entrepreneurial Fellowship, an Advanced Propulsion Centre grant and a 1 million pound Faraday Battery Challenge project grant from Innovate UK to improve battery lifetime in electric vehicles. The organisation has completed a pre-seed investment round and employs 13 people. Read more in this news release.

Beatrice Browning is undertaking a PhD in lithium-ion battery recycling and upcycling at the University of Birmingham, as part of the ReLiB project. Highlights of the PhD project have included the opportunity to run some in-situ pair distribution function analysis (PDF) X-ray based experiments at Argonne National Laboratory and presenting at the Faraday Institution Battery Day 2022. Beatrice undertook a three-month internship at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence where she worked on their recycling forecast and has subsequently continued one day a week alongside her PhD. Beatrice is motivated by working in sustainability and aspires to continue her career in the energy storage sector, as she has enjoyed using her expertise in a wider global context.

Rosie Madge researches different strategies to recycle cathode materials from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and ways to upcycling these materials to form new cathode materials at the University of Birmingham. A three-month internship with Exawatt has led to a part-time role as a research analyst leading on research into the lithium supply chain and modelling of lithium-ion battery recycling costs. Rosie knew early on that she would be seeking a job outside the lab post PhD and has enjoyed finding a role where she can utilise her scientific knowledge and understanding in a different way within the battery sector.

Victor Riesgo-Gonzalez’s PhD at the University of Cambridge into the synthesis and characterisation of battery materials had the goal of improving the lifetime of lithium-ion batteries. During this time, he successfully published five papers, of which two were as first author. A three-month internship at Lambda Energy increased Victor’s experience of applying research skills in an industry setting and knowledge of the path to commercialisation. Post-PhD, he is successfully taking the next step in his academic career with a postdoctoral research associate position at the University of Oxford, focusing on use of polymers for battery applications.

Louis Dawson focused on the legal side of recycling of batteries for his PhD research as part of the ReLiB project at the University of Birmingham. Internships with the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee in the House of Commons through the UKRI POST Fellowship Scheme and the Welsh Government gave him valuable policy experience and clarity on the next career steps. Louis is now a Lecturer of Law at the University of South Wales with environmental law an area of special interest.

Daisy Thornton completed her PhD at Imperial with a focus on degradation mechanisms in lithium-ion batteries. She successfully set up a lab and also filed a patent as part of her research activity. Looking to apply her knowledge and skills in an industry setting post PhD, Daisy is now working as a Cell Degradation Engineer at Rimac Energy. Read her #FaradayPathway.

Jacob Dean used computational modelling techniques to research solid state electrolytes for use in all solid-state batteries as part of his PhD at the University of Bath. Undertaking an internship at WAE in his fourth year, proved pivotal for his career and led to a permanent role as a full-time Data Scientist within the Elysia Battery Intelligence team at WAE.